Disc player for player discs disposed in cassettes defining a window opening and closeable by a sliding element

ABSTRACT

A combination includes a plurality of disc assemblies, each having: a disc; a cassette having a window and a sliding element adapted to open and close the window, the disc being disposed in the cassette so as to be accessible by a playback unit of a disc player through the window. The combination further includes a disc player having: a playback unit; a disk magazine including a plurality of disc compartments disposed to form a stack, each of the compartments being adapted to receive a corresponding one of the disc assemblies therein; a transport device travelling toward and away from the stack for transferring a pre-selected disc assembly between a corresponding receiving compartment and the playback unit; and a plurality of cassette holders, each holding a corresponding one of the disc assemblies therein and further being adapted to be gripped by the transport device for being transferred between a receiving compartment and the playback unit. Each of the cassette holders further have: a frame; a catch fixed to the frame for moving the sliding element of the cassette into an open position when the corresponding one of the disc assemblies is inserted into the cassette holder; and an elastic projection distinct from the catch fixed to the frame for moving the sliding element into a closed position when the corresponding one of the disc assemblies is removed from the cassette holder.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a disc player having at least one disc magazinewhich contains a plurality of discs lying in receiving compartments oneon top of the other, and further having a transport device which cantravel in the direction of the stack of the disc magazine fortransferring a desired disc between the receiving compartment and aplayback unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Disc players of the above type are known in a wide variety ofembodiments. For example, EP 0 439 483 B1 shows a disc player having twodisc magazines which are located opposite each other and include aplurality of disc holders which are seated in receiving compartments oneabove the other and each receive one disc, the device further includinga transport device which can be moved in the direction of the stack ofthe disc magazines for conveying a disc, with the associated discholder, back and forth between the disc magazines and a playback unit.The discs are therefore first placed into the disc holders, and the discholders respectively occupied by a disc are subsequently inserted intothe receiving compartments of the disc magazines. Usually, so-called CDs(compact discs) are involved, which have a long playing time, butnevertheless a small diameter of up to 8 cm, which permits the use of aplayback unit and disc magazines of compact construction, so that thedisc playback device has a relatively small overall size.

Moreover, in the interim a disc player has become known which plays adisc while it is held in a flat cassette serving to protect it. Thecassette is provided on one hand with an access opening, through whichthe disc is gripped by the playback unit and rotated, and on the otherhand with a window, through which the disc can be scanned while itrotates in the cassette by the playback head of the playback unit. Inthe unused state of the cassette, the window is closed by a slidingelement integrated into the cassette, and is opened by a suitablemechanism when the cassette is inserted into the disc player and closedagain when the cassette is withdrawn after the disc has been played. Thediscs accommodated in the protective cassettes are typically so-calledmini-compact discs, which have an extremely long playing time butnevertheless a small diameter of up to 6 cm. The type of discs which arereceived in protective cassettes cannot be played in the disc playersknown up to now that include a large number of disc magazines whichreceive discs, particularly because these disc players do not possessany of the complex mechanisms disposed upstream of the playback unit forthe purpose of operating the sliding element of the cassette.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to create a disc player of the typementioned at the outset with which discs received in flat protectivecassettes can be played without a large structural outlay.

In accordance with the invention, this object is accomplished in that

--each disc is accommodated so as to rotate in a manner known per se ina cassette having at least one window which is associated with theplayback head of the playback unit and can be closed by a slidingelement,

--each cassette is inserted into a cassette holder which is seated inthe receiving compartment of the disc magazine and can be gripped by thetransport device, and

--each cassette holder is provided on the one hand with a catch whichtransfers the sliding element into the open position when the cassetteis inserted into the cassette holder, and on the other hand with anelastic projection which transfers the sliding element into the closedposition when the cassette is withdrawn from the cassette holder.

The result of these measures is a structurally simple and compact discplayer which permits the playback of discs accommodated in specialcassettes. The cassette holder assures, on the one hand, a narrow stackspacing of the cassette holders with respect to each other and, on theother hand, reliable opening and closing of the sliding element. In theworking position of the cassette, that is, in the state of the cassettebeing inserted into the cassette holder, the window of the cassette iskept open, making the disc available for playback, while in thenon-working state of the cassette, that is, when the cassette is removedfrom the cassette holder, the window of the cassette is closed,protecting the disc completely protected against the effects of dirt.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the sliding element ofthe cassette is fixed in the closed position by a spring-loaded lockingdevice, and the catch of the cassette holder does not release thelocking device until the cassette is inserted into the cassette holder.In this way, a sliding element of the cassette which is locked in theclosed position is reliably released from its locked position when thecassette is inserted into the cassette holder.

To assure secure holding of the cassette in the cassette holder, inaccordance with a preferred modification of the invention, the cassetteholder, which encompasses a frame, has at least two holding ribs locatedopposite one another in the rear region, when seen in the direction ofinsertion of the cassette, which extend into corresponding lateral slotsof the cassette.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the catch is formed on theinside of the side wall of the frame facing the window of the cassetteand, when the cassette is inserted into the cassette holder, extendsinto the corresponding lateral slot of the cassette, pushes down aspring-loaded lever of the locking device, which lever protrudes intothis slot, and comes to rest bent segment of the sliding element locatedin the closed position, which bent segment partly covers the slot. As aresult, the window of the cassette can always be opened withoutproblems.

For the implementation of a reliable closing process of the window ofthe cassette, in accordance with a further advantageous embodiment ofthe invention, the elastic projection disposed on the inside of the sidewall of the frame facing the window of the cassette extends into anassociated opening of the bent segment of the sliding element in thestate of the cassette being inserted into the cassette holder. When thecassette is pushed out of the cassette holder, the projection carriesthe sliding element along until the sliding element has assumed itsclosed position, and the projection subsequently moves out of theopening of the sliding element. The projection is purposefully formed ona resilient tongue swung out of the side wall of the frame. This issimple to execute with respect to production technology. In analternative embodiment, the projection is configured as a spring-loadedlatching pin inserted into the side wall of the frame.

So that an information image applied to the associated cassette can beviewed in the correct, or readable, orientation during playback of adisc, in accordance with a further modification of the subject of theinvention, the frame of the cassette holder is provided with a coverwall, into which a recess is cut that corresponds to the size of aninformation image that is applied to the top side of the cassette and isto be viewed in the correct position during playback of the disc locatedin the cassette.

For secure seating and shifting of the cassette holder, the frame of thecassette holder preferably has two sliding rails located opposite eachother on the outside, transversely to the direction of insertion of thecassette, for support in the receiving compartment of the disc magazineand in the carrier arm of the transport device.

So that, in the case of two oppositely-located disc magazines, thecassette holder can be gripped in a simple manner by the transportdevice, a gripping pocket for a gripper arm of the transport devicepreferably adjoins the end of the front sliding rail of the frame, seenin the direction of insertion of the cassette. When the cassette isinserted in the cassette holder, the front sliding rail purposefullyextends beyond the outer wall of the cassette facing the sliding rail ata specific height. This reduces a sliding of the cassette back out ofthe cassette holder, with the front sliding rail serving as a latch forthe cassette.

In order to achieve exact positioning of the cassette holder in the discmagazine and in the transport device, in a modification of theinvention, a detent notch into which a detent spring of the discmagazine or a detent spring of the carrier arm of the transport deviceextends is cut into the center of the rear sliding rail of the framewhen seen in the direction of insertion of the cassette in the cassetteholder.

Of course, the features cited above and those explained below can beused not only in the described combination, but also in othercombinations or by themselves, without leaving the scope of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The concept underlying the invention is described in detail in thefollowing description in conjunction with an embodiment illustrated inthe drawing. Shown are in:

FIG. 1 a perspective view of a disc player according to the invention,

FIG. 2 a bottom plan view of a cassette holder which has an insertedcassette that has been deposited into a disc magazine of the disc playeraccording to FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale and partly in section,

FIG. 3a a bottom plan view of the cassette of FIG. 2,

FIG. 3b a bottom plan view of the cassette holder for the cassette ofFIGS. 2 and 3a,

FIG. 4a a bottom plan view of the cassette showing an information imageapplied to the top side thereof,

FIG. 4b a bottom plan view of the cassette holder for the cassette ofFIG. 4a, showing a cover wall thereon,

FIG. 5 a perspective view of a conventional playback unit used in thedisc player of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6a a perspective view of conventional features of a transportdevice which may be used in the disc player of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6b a top plan view of a rear portion of the transport device ofFIG. 6a equipped with gripper arms shown in schematic form,

FIG. 6c a top plan view of a detent notch of the cassette holder of FIG.2 engaged by a detent spring shown in schematic form,

FIG. 7a a side elevational view of the cassette of FIG. 3a seen in thedirection of arrow A,

FIG. 7b a side elevational view of the cassette of FIG. 3a seen in thedirection of arrow B,

FIG. 8a a detail of one of the side walls of the cassette holder of FIG.2, and

FIG. 8b a detail of another one of the side walls of the cassette holderof FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As seen in FIG. 1, the disc player equipped with a central control unit,not shown, with which disc player information stored on the discs 1 canbe read out and played back, includes a housing 2 having an associatedoperating panel, not shown, which has different keys, for example, adisc selection key, a disc playback key and a stop key. Disc magazines 3located opposite each other are disposed laterally in the housing 2.Disposed in the space between the disc magazines 3 is a transport device4 which can travel up and down and has a carrier arm 5 for a cassetteholder 6, into which a cassette 7 which rotatably receives a disc 1 isinserted (FIG. 2). A playback unit 38 having a turntable, not shown indetail, a motor for rotating the turntable, and a playback head, isfixedly disposed between and beneath the two disc magazines 3 locatedopposite each other.

The disc magazines 3 are of identical construction, and respectivelyinclude a plurality of receiving compartments 8 disposed one above theother for storage of a corresponding number of cassette holders 6, eachof which receives a corresponding disc assembly including cassette 7with a disc 1 lying therein it. The cassette holder 6 is secured in itsposition in the receiving compartment 8 by at least one detent springdisposed on the disc magazine 3. In this position the cassette holder 6protrudes so far beyond the two sides of the disc magazine 3 from whichwithdrawal is possible that it can be gripped by a gripper arm 52 of awithdrawal device 44 of the transport device 4 (see FIGS. 6a and 6b).Each disc magazine 3 is inserted into the housing 2 in drawer fashion soas to be exchangeable from the front side of the housing 2. The housing2 comprises a rectangular floor plate 9 and a rectangular cover plate10, which is at a specific distance from the floor plate; these platescan be connected to one another by connecting elements 11 configured asrods and disposed at the corners. The cover plate 10 is removable, andthe connecting elements 11 are exchangeable in length, so that discmagazines 3 of different heights can be used. Located opposite eachother on the inside of the floor plate 9 and the inside of the coverplate 10 are guide rails 12 for each disc magazine 3 which correspond toa groove in the wall of the floor or in the wall of the cover of thedisc magazine 3.

As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3a, rectangular cassette 7 shown in a partiallycut-away bottom plan view is closed on all sides and serves to protectthe freely-movable disc 1 lying inside it. Cassette 7 is provided on itsunderside with a central access opening 13, through which the disc 1 canbe set into rotation by the turntable of the playback unit 38. A window14 is located next to the access opening 13 in the underside of thecassette 7; the disc 1 can be scanned through this window by theplayback head of the playback unit 38 as it is rotated in the cassette7. Associated with the window 14 is a sliding element 15 which isintegrated into the cassette 7 and by means of which the window 14 canbe opened and closed. The sliding element has a bent segment 24 whichextends into a first lateral slot 16 of the cassette 7 and cooperateswith a locking device 17, shown in a partially cut-away view of thecassette and not in detail, which has a spring-loaded lever 18 that dipsinto the slot 16 of the cassette 7. To open the window 14, first thelocking device 17 must be released; only then can the sliding element bemoved into its open position. Located opposite the slot 16 in the oneside wall of the cassette 7 is a second lateral slot 19 in the otherside wall.

As seen in FIG. 3b, the cassette holder 6 encompasses a frame 20 thatreceives the cassette 7 and on whose side wall 21 facing the window ofthe cassette 7 a catch 22 which extends into the slot 16 of the cassette7 is formed in a position in which it first releases the locking device17 for the sliding element 15 when the cassette 7 is inserted into thecassette holder 6 from the front side 23 of the cassette holder 6, andthen, by virtue of the insertion of the cassette toward the back side 30moves the sliding element 15 into the open position by means of contactwith the bent segment 24 of the sliding element 15. In the open positionof the sliding element 15, an elastic projection 25 disposed at aninside region of the side wall 21 of the frame 20 latches into anassociated opening 26 of the bent segment 24 of the sliding element 15,and thus holds the sliding element 15 fixedly in its open position. Whenthe cassette 7 is pushed out of the cassette holder 6 in the directionof the front side 23 of the cassette holder 6, the sliding element 15 istransported by the projection 25 into the closed position, in which itis fixed by the locking device 17, and the projection 25 subsequentlyslides out of the opening 26. The projection 25 is formed on a resilienttongue 27 adapted to swing in and out of the side wall 21 of the frame20.

A holding rib 28 formed on the side wall 21 and extending into the slot16 of the cassette 7 extends in front of the catch 22 of the side wall21 of the frame 20. Two further holding ribs 28, which are spaced fromeach other and extend into the slot 19 of the cassette 7, are formed onthe side wall 29 of the frame 20 located opposite the side wall 21.Located on both the front side 23 and the rear side 30 of the frame 20is a sliding rail 31, which serves as a support in the receivingcompartment 8 of the disc magazines 3 and in the carrier arm 5 of thetransport device 4. Adjoining the end of the front sliding rail 31 whenseen in the direction of insertion of the cassette 7 in the cassetteholder 6 is a gripping pocket 32, into which a gripper arm of awithdrawal device of the transport device 4 can extend in order toconvey the cassette holder 6. In the state of the cassette 7 beinginserted into the cassette holder 6, at a specific height the frontsliding rail 31 extends beyond the outside wall of the cassette 7 facingthe sliding rail 31. The rear sliding rail 31 when seen in the directionof insertion of the cassette 7 into the cassette holder 6 is provided inthe center with a detent notch 33. In the end position of the cassetteholder 6 in the disc magazine 3, a detent spring correspondingly fixedon the disc magazine extends into the detent notch 33. Likewise, adetent spring 54 fixed on the carrier arm 5 extends into the detentnotch 33 in the end position of the cassette holder 6 in the carrier arm5 of the transport device 4. As seen in FIGS. 4a and 4b, frame 20 of thecassette holder 6 is provided with a cover wall 34, into which a recess35 is cut which corresponds to the size of an information image 36applied to the top side of the cassette 7. Moreover, an arrow 37 whichindicates the direction of insertion of the cassette 7 into the cassetteholder 6 is located on the top side of the cassette 7. The informationimage 36 of the cassette 7 can therefore be viewed in the correctposition during playback of the disc 1 contained in the cassette 7.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a conventional playback unit 38 whichmay be used in the disc player of FIG. 1. The playback unit 38 includesa playback head 40 and a rotating turntable 42.

FIG. 6a shows a perspective view of conventional features of a transportdevice 4 which may be used in the disc player of FIG. 1. The transportdevice includes the carrier arm 5 and a withdrawal device 44 whichincludes a bottom portion 46 and a belt drive 48.

FIG. 6b is a top view of a rear portion of the transport device of FIG.6a equipped with gripper arms shown in schematic form. As seen in FIG.6b, bottom portion 46 includes a conventional actuation controlmechanism 50 for actuating gripper arms 52 shown in schematic form. Asseen in FIG. 6b, gripper arms 52 can engage gripping pockets 32 ofcassette holder 6 for holding the cassette holder on the transportdevice as previously described.

FIG. 6c is a top view of detent notch 33 of cassette holder 6 into whicha detent spring 52 (shown in schematic form) of either disc magazine 3or carrier arm 5 extends by means of a conventional actuation controlmechanism 56.

FIG. 7a is a side elevational view of the cassette of FIG. 3a seen inthe direction of arrow A, and shows the lateral slot 16 of the cassette7. Bent segment of 24 of sliding element 15 extends into slot 16 andincludes the opening 26 therein as shown.

FIG. 7b is a side elevational view of the cassette of FIG. 3a seen inthe direction of arrow B, and shows the slot 19 therein.

FIG. 8a shows a detail of side wall 21 including the resilient portion27 which swings in and out of the plane of the side wall 21 as shown byarrow "C", and which has the elastic tongue 25 thereon. FIG. 8a furthershows both the catch 22 and holding rib 28 adapted to extend into slot16.

FIG. 8b shows a detail of side wall 29 including holding ribs 28 alsoadapted to extend into slot 16.

It is noted that at least FIGS. 7a, 7b, 8a and 8b are not necessarily toscale.

We claim:
 1. A combination comprising:a plurality of disc assemblies,each disc assembly including: a disc; a cassette defining lateral slotsthereon including a first lateral slot and a second lateral slot, thecassette further having a window and a sliding element adapted to openand close the window, the sliding element including a bent segmentpartly covering the first lateral slot and defining an opening therein,the disc being disposed in the cassette so as to be accessible by aplayback unit of a disc player through the window; and a disc player forplaying the disc including:a playback unit adapted to access the discthrough the window of the cassette; a disk magazine disposed adjacentthe playback unit and including a plurality of disc receivingcompartments disposed one on top of another to form a stack, each of thereceiving compartments being adapted to receive a corresponding one ofthe disc assemblies therein; a plurality of cassette holders, each ofthe cassette holders holding a corresponding one of the disc assembliestherein and further having:a frame including a side wall adapted to bedisposed adjacent the sliding element when the corresponding one of thedisc assemblies is inserted into the cassette holder; a catch fixed tothe frame of the cassette holder for moving the sliding element of thecassette into an open position when the corresponding one of the discassemblies is inserted into the cassette holder; and an elasticprojection distinct from the catch and fixed to the frame of thecassette holder for moving the sliding element of the cassette into aclosed position when the corresponding one of the disc assemblies isremoved from the cassette holder, the elastic projection being disposedon an inside region of the side wall of the frame and extending into theopening of the bent segment when the corresponding one of the discassemblies is inserted into the cassette holder; and a transport deviceadapted to travel toward and away from the stack of receiving assembliesfor transferring a pre-selected cassette holder between a correspondingreceiving compartment and the playback unit by gripping the pre-selectedcassette holder.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein thecassette further includes a spring-loaded locking device disposedadjacent the sliding element for fixing the sliding element in itsclosed position, the catch being adapted to release the locking devicebefore moving the sliding element into its open position when thecorresponding one of the disc assemblies is inserted into the cassetteholder.
 3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein:the lockingdevice includes a spring-loaded lever protruding into the first lateralslot and resting against the bent segment of the sliding element whenthe sliding element is in its closed position for fixing the slidingelement in its closed position; and the catch is formed on an insideregion of the side wall and extends into the first lateral slot therebypushing down the spring-loaded lever of the locking device for releasingthe locking device when the corresponding one of the disc assemblies isinserted into the cassette holder.
 4. The combination according to claim1, wherein:the cassette holder further includes a plurality of holdingribs projecting from the frame and facing one another at a rear regionof the cassette holder, the holding ribs extending into correspondingones of the lateral slots of the cassette when the corresponding one ofthe disc assemblies is inserted into the cassette holder.
 5. Thecombination according to claim 1, wherein each of the cassette holdersfurther includes a resilient tongue portion fixed to the side wall andadapted to swing in and out of a plane of the side wall, the elasticprojection being disposed on the resilient tongue portion.
 6. Thecombination according to claim 1, wherein:the elastic projectioncomprises a spring-loaded latching pin disposed in the side wall.
 7. Thecombination according to claim 1, wherein the frame includes a coverwall defining a recess therein, the recess corresponding to a size of aninformation image applied to a top side of the cassette and adapted tobe viewed during playback of the disc disposed in the cassette.
 8. Thecombination according to claim 1, wherein:the transport device comprisesa carrier arm; and the frame includes, on an outside region thereof, apair of sliding rails comprising a front sliding rail and a rear slidingrail in an insertion direction of the corresponding one of the discassemblies into the cassette holder, the sliding rails being locatedopposite one another and oriented transversely to the insertiondirection of the corresponding one of the disc assemblies, the slidingrails further being adapted to support the cassette holder inside thecorresponding one of the receiving compartments and in the carrier armof the transport device.
 9. The combination according to claim 1,wherein:the frame defines a gripping pocket adjoining an end region ofthe front sliding rail; and the transport device further comprises agripper arm adapted to engage the gripping pocket for gripping thecassette holder.
 10. The combination according to claim 1, wherein, at aspecific height, the front sliding rail extends beyond a facing outerwall of the cassette when the corresponding one of the disc assembliesis inserted into the cassette holder.
 11. The combination according toclaim 1, wherein:the rear sliding rail defines a detent notch at acenter region thereof; and the disc magazine and the carrier arm eachinclude a detent spring adapted to extend into the detent notch when thecassette holder is inside the corresponding one of the receivingcompartments and in the carrier arm of the transport device,respectively.